What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a flight departed from Marl-Lohmühle Airfield bound for Arnsberg-Menden Airfield. The aircraft was operated under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) with the pilot and two passengers on board. After climbing to 2,200 ft AMSL, the pilot communicated with Dortmund Tower to request passage through the control zone via reporting points WHISKEY and ECHO.
Following clearance from the tower, radar and GPS data indicated that the aircraft turned toward a heading of 120 degrees. As the flight progressed toward its destination, the aircraft moved approximately 2.5 NM west of Arnsberg-Menden before turning east. The aircraft eventually intersected the extended centerline of runway 23 at a ground speed of roughly 150 kt.
During the final approach to runway 23, the landing gear and flaps had been deployed, and the approach initially appeared normal. However, while the aerodrome information service provider was briefly distracted by computer entries, the aircraft's behavior changed. The controller noticed the aircraft exhibited a large upward pitch angle before plunging and disappearing from view. The aircraft impacted the ground near the runway threshold, leaving all 3 occupants with severe injuries.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the flight's stability and pilot performance:
- The pilot failed to adjust engine power or abort the approach when necessary.
- There was a failure to monitor airspeed, leading to an uncontrolled flight attitude during the flare.
- The pilot did not respond to stall warnings or PAPI indications.
- An excessive number of changing approach parameters likely overwhelmed the pilot's ability to maintain controlled flight.
- The runway markings at the site were noted as not meeting required standards.